Plea for good behaviour at hotspot ‘beach’
TODMORDEN COUNCILLORS are issuing a plea for good behaviour to people planning to visit a picturesque sun spot this bank holiday weekend.
Visitor numbers at rural Gaddings Dam, Lumbutts, have rocketed in the past few years following extensive publicity for the area dubbed “the highest beach in England” by national and social media.
Despite the introduction of double yellow lines, increased police and warden presence and other preventative measures by Calderdale Council, visitors continue to flock to the area and more than 100 parking tickets were issued over a recent bank holiday.
Residents remain concerned about parking problems for locals and say they have also suffered rudeness and unpleasant behaviour from some of the visitors.
Gaddings Dam, a Victorian mill dam set in Pennine moorland at the top of a steep hill, has no access by road. It can only be reached on foot via two rugged and very steep footpaths.
There are no facilities for swimmers at the dam: no toilets, lifeguards, changing rooms or cafés.
Mayor of Todmorden Ruth Coleman-Taylor appealed to visitors not to try to reach the dam by car.
“Walkers are of course welcome, but a minority of visitors have created problems on the very narrow road by parking on double yellow lines, in gateways or in people’s gardens. Cars which are causing obstruction have been towed away and many parking tickets issued, but on sunny weekends there has still been complete chaos at the bottom of the hill up to Gaddings Dam.”
Todmorden councillors are urging visitors to behave responsibly and obey the Country Code, leaving gates closed, taking litter home, respecting wildlife and farmed animals as well as following guidelines to protect the open moorland from fire risk by leaving barbecues and cigarettes at home.
‘A minority of visitors have created problems on the very narrow road’ Ruth Coleman-Taylor
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